This invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure Program Registration No. 254,666 which was filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on June 4, 1990.
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,080,058; 2,585,157; 3,069,691; and 3,331,110; the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse garment fasteners used to maintain a wide variety of garments in place on a user's person.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, these patented constructions are neither suited for, nor adapted for use to solve the problem addressed by the present invention.
Both men and women encounter this particular problem when a belt they are wearing is too long. The free end of the belt hangs loosely below the waist encircling portion of the belt, thereby producing a sloppy and unattractive appearance.
While most men's fashions provide a plurality of belt loops in close proximity to the belt buckle, many women's fashions only provide a single belt loop in the vicinity of the belt buckle. The only way to deal with this problem in the past has been to physically pin the loose end of the belt strap to the waist encircling portion of the belt.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among both men and women for a belt accessory that is not only fashionable, but functional with regard to providing simple and efficient means of releasably securing the free end of a belt. The accessory is adjustable in width to accommodate different sized belts. The provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.